Laundering apparatus



I May 2, 1939. c. J, WEST LAUNDERING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 26, 1935 May 2, 1939. c. J. WEST LAUNDERING APPARATUS YSheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 26, 1935 lMaly 2, 1939. c. J. WEST LAUNDERING APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 2, 1939. C. J. WEST LAUNDERING APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1935- 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Clau/Ze JPL/ESL? RNEY.

May 2, 1939. c; JI WEST LAUNDERING APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1935 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 m, Claude Filed July 26, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet lil...-

May 2, 1939. c. J. WEST LAUNDERING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed July 26, 1935 Rf., w 6 LJ 7M u @a m Patented May 2, 1939 UNITED i ST'EES PATENT OFFICE LAUNDERING APPARATUS adelphia., Pa.

Application July 26, 1935, Serial No. 33,267

3 Claims.

I'he present invention relates to a certain new anduseful laundry ironer and certain new and useful improvements in laundry ironers, and it relates more particularly to continuously operable rotary type laundry ironers.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry ironer of high capacity and occupying relatively little floor space (as compared with the present conventional types of laundry ironers) and which will afford the work passing through the machine relatively great traverse with a relatively small transverse dimension machine, so that a more compact and smaller machine may be made to produce the same amount of work as la larger machine now produces.

A further object of the present invention is to facilitate the elimination of moisture from the laundry as it passes through the machine so as to generally increase the speed of the laundering operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a machine of simplified construction which will be less expensive to produce, will be more durable and serviceable, and one which may be more eicient in operation and maintenance.

With the above `and other objects in view which will appear more fully from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, the present invention includes a certain novel arrangement of movable and stationary ironing members and means for coordinating the same..

The present invention further consists of certain novel features as well as details of construction, all of which Will appear more fully from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure l represents a vertical transverse crosssectional View of the machine embodying the present invention showing the principal stationi ary and movable ironing members and their rethe machine partly broken away on the left side.

Figure 4 represents a side elevational View of the machine showing the right side or end of the machine.

Figure 5 represents a Arear elevational View of i the machine, that is, Where the ironed Work is discharged.

Figure 6 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the machine taken generally on line 6--6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 represents a generally vertical longitudinal section on line I-T of Figure 1.

Figure 8 represents a perspective view of an upper and lower section of the main steam chests or ironing buck.

Figure 9 represents a perspective view of one section of the auxiliary feed in steam chest or ironing buck and the associated manifold, and the idler feed belt roller associated therewith.

Figure 10 represents a perspective vView of a .2.0 stripper iinger.

The machine includes a main roll I I, generally hollow for the reception of steam or other heating medium, if desired, and carried upon the main shaft or pivot I2, although the application of heating medium into the interior of the main roll may be omitted. i

The main roll II carried upon the pivots or trunnions I2 is supported, along with the other ironing members, between a pair of more or less similar and juxtaposed side frame members I3, |36 and I4, Ma respectively, which carry the bearings for the various shafts and pivots and other `supporting structure, and which in turn, are carried upon any suitable base I5.

Below the main roll II, a generally stationary steam chest I6 is provided, while above the main roll II, a more or less similar steam chest I1 is provided. The steam chests I6 and I'l are formed of similar adjacent and contiguous sections I8 and I9 respectively, shown particularly in Figure 8, and are here shown of the same form and construction as the sectional steam chests particularly disclosed in my copending application Serial No. '756,517 filed December '7, 1934, now matured into Patent No. 2,057,988.

The steam chests have inner cylindrical surfaces of a radius corresponding to the outer radius of the main roll I I, that is, including not only the body of the main roll but also including the outer padding material 2!) of fabric or other padding material which is customarily applied to the roll. The lower steam chest I6 is preferably mounted stationarily both front and back, and in the modification .of the present in- ,55

vention shown in the drawings of this application, the bottom steam chest I6 is so mounted, although I may mount the lower steam chest for vertical adjustment about the pivot 2|. The upper steam chest i1 is pivotally mounted in relation to the pivot 2| and is arranged for vertical adjustment about said pivot, to gain access to the roll In the particular modification or embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings herein, the adjustment between the central roll and the corresponding upper and lower steam chest is obtained by the vertical adjustment of the main roll in relation to the lower and generally stationary steam chest |6 and the vertical adjustment of the upper steam chest |1 in relation 'to the center roll This is accomplished by journalling the main pivots or trunnions 2 in vertically movable bearings or journals 22 and 23 carried upon the slides or vertically slidable guides 24 and 25 on the left side of the machine, and 26 and 21 on the right side of the machine, guided in suitable slide bearings or vertical guiding bearings 28 and 29 on the left side of the machine, and 36 and 3| on the right side of the machine. The lower bearing supporting slides or guides 25 and 21 extend downwardly into corresponding spring housings 32 and 33, and carry terminal spring anchorages 34 at their lower ends. Similar springs 35 confined between said lower spring anchorages and the upper closures 36 of said spring housings, serve to urge the guides downwardly with yieldable force; the force being dependent upon the springs 35. The spring housings 32 and 33 are pivotally linked or connected to similar eccentric straps 31 and 38 on each side of the machine, which in turn surround similar eccentrics 39 and 46 carried on corresponding pivots 4| and 42, and afxed to corresponding gears or pinions 43 and 44. By turning the latter pinions in unison, the compression of the springs 35 may be increased or decreased equally on the two sides of the machine, thereby uniformly to increase or decrease the pressure between the main roll and the lower steam chest at the will of the operator. By suitable proportoning, the adjustment can be so arranged that by raising the eccentrics completely into their uppermost position, the lower spring abutments 34 will contact the bottoms of the spring chambers or spring housings so as also to raise the journal guides 25 upwardly suiiiciently to break the contact between the center roll and the lower steam chest. The upper steam chest |1 pivoted at 2|, is similarly controlled by a pair of opposite and similar pressure devices indicated particularly in Figures 2 and 4, including the spring actuated or otherwise suitably actuated plungers 45 and 46, which are provided with similar terminal spring anchorages 41 within similar spring housings 48 and 49 which are urged downwardly by similar springs 50 within said housing and which are connected with the opposite ends of the upper steam chest I1 through the connecting rods 5| and 52 adjustably secured to the plungers 45 and 46 and pivotally connected to the steam chest through the pivots 53 and 54, and the bearing caps 55 and 56. The spring housings 48 and 49 are provided at their lower ends with the eccentric straps 51 and 58 respectively, which may be formed integrally with the spring housings and which surround similar eccentrics 59 and 60 carried upon the shaft 6| which extends beneath the machine from one side to the other and thus synchronizes the adjustment on the two sides of the machine. The shaft 6| also carries gears or pinions 62 and 63 which mesh with the gears 43 and 44 respectively, and also mesh with similar gears for the third pressure adjustment of the machine so that all pressure adjustments are synchronized or correlated. The shaft 6| also carries a worm gear 64 which is in mesh with a Worm 65 upon the control shaft 66, the front end of which carries an adjustment handle or wheel 61 through which the pressures are thus simultaneously adjustable.

The auxiliary feed-in roll 68 is also preferably mounted for vertical adjustment in relation to the auxiliary feed-in steam chest 69 which is stationarily mounted between the intermediate side frames |3a and |4a of the machine and which is formed of sections in a manner similar to the lower and upper main steam chests |6 and |1. Thus, the pivots or trunnions 10 of the auxiliary roll 68 are journalled in suitable journals 1| and 12, which may be of the bushing type or the anti-friction or roller type as indicated, and which in turn, are carried by the vertical slides 12a and 13 on the left hand side, and 14 and 15 on the right hand side, which are suitably guided in the stationary guides 16, 11, 18 and 19. The lower guides 13 and 15 are adjustably connected to similar spring plungers or other suitably actuated plungers 89 and 8| which enter the similar spring housings 82 and 83 which are arranged in a manner similar to the spring housings 32 and 33 although proportioned. to suit the pressures required between the auxiliary roll and its steam chest. The spring housings 82 and 83 are similarly connected to similar eccentric straps 84 and 85 carried upon eccentrics 84a and 85a on the pivots 86 and 81, and which pivots are geared to the control gears through the pinions 88 and 89, respectively. Thus, the pressure can be increased or decreased simultaneously by the single manual control 61 between each of the rolls and their respective steam chests, and the contact may be broken by elevating the eccentrics until the bottom spring anchorages of the spring plungers abut the bottoms of the spring chambers, and then raising the eccentrics suitably beyond that point.

The auxiliary roll 68 is preferably also provided with similar padding 96 about its outer circumference. In advance of the feed-in roll 68, an endless feed-in apron 9| is provid-ed, formed sectionally as indicated in Figure 3, each of a small part of the total width of the machine, and the sections lying closely adjacent to each other as indicated, so as to constitute a more or less continuous apron across the full width of the machine; said apron extending around a driving roll 92, an idler roll 93, having a fixed pivotal axis, and the idler roll 94 immediately adjacent the feed-in roll 68 which is supported by the notched ears 94a integral with the upper forward portion of the vacuum and steam chest 69, and the idler roll 95 having itsaxis shiftable so as to vary the tension in the apron or so as to vary the amount of slack or absence of slack in the apron. The ears 94a also effect spacing and guiding means for the belts 9|. The adjustment of the roll 95 may be effected by any suitable adjustment means, such as supporting the journal blocks upon adjustment screws 96, and providing the same also with the adjustment screws 91 whereby the setting may be xed or blocked against the tension of the belt.

"Ihebelt is arranged` to'travel generally in the direction of the arrow 98 while vthe feed-in roll -the arrow |00.

The bottom steam chest |6 is provided with a vlower. and outer ironing surface which may be formed of sheet metal bent around the lower `steam chest and supported upon the sp-acer webs l |02, |03, |04, and the steam manifold |06 in.v the manner indicated particularly in Figure 1. An auxiliary ironing apron |01 is provided be* neath the plate ||l| and in contact with the :outer convex surface thereof, as indicated particularly in Figure 1, being carried by the driving roll |08 and the idler roll |09 upon a fixed axis.. andthe idler roll ||0 adjustably carried upon the bearing brackets I and adjustably by means of the adjustment screws` ||2, and further secured by the set screws or bolts ||3 and ||4 by which the adjustment can be fixed and 'locked 'I'he belt is adapted to travel in the Figure l.

direction indicated by the arrows H5. thereby discharging the work generally in the direction of the arrow ||6 onto any suitable table ||1 indicated in a fragmentary way in dotted lines in The belts |01 at the forward portion of the machine are spaced from each other and guided byvthepins |0161, secured to the rod or bar l |0113- supportedby the intermediate frames |3a and |4a. i

lThe machine is driven from any suitable source vof motive power, as for instance, an electric motor which is coupled to a reducing gear system contained within the housing ||8, and the low speed shaft of which carries the driving sprocket wheel" I9. The electric motor is not separately shown in the drawings as it may be included in the housing I I8 or may be to one side of the housing I8. The reduction gearing may be any conventional reduction gearing merely to reduce the speedV ofthe driving pinion ||9 to the comparatively slow speed required for driving the ironer, and for obtaining the relatively high torque required.

'The electric motor driving through any suitable reduction gearing is preferably connected directly to the main roll through the sprocket chain |20 and the sprocket wheel |2|, as for instance on the right side or at the right end of `the machine, as indicated at Figure 4. At the opposite end of the machine a gear |22 is secured to the main shaft |2 or to the main roll which is in mesh with a driven pinion |23 on the auxiliary roll` 68 or on the shaft which carries the auxiliary roll, thereby imparting rotary motion to the auxiliary roll; the ratio between the driving gear `|22 and the driven pinion |23 being such as to give the auxiliary roll approximately the same peripheral speed or linear speed as that of the main roll. A driving sprocket wheel |24 is also secured to the same end of the main roll for driving the two aprons 9| and |01, respectively. The sprocket wheel |24 is connected directly toan operating sprocket |25 on the driving roll |08 ofthe apron |01, through a suitable sprocket chain |26. At the forward left hand side of the machine, a counter-balanced take-up arm |86 is pivotally carried on the intermediate frame |3a, the arm |85 at one end is provided with a guide roller |81 to retain the sprocket chain in driving relation with the sprocket |25. A second driving sprocket wheel |21 (Figure 3) is provided on the shaft of the driving roll |08, from which a sprocket chain |28 transmits the motionpto a `driven sprocket wheel |29 on the driving roll 92 or on the shaft of the driving roll 92, andthereby activating the feed-in apron 9|.

As illustrated in Figure 3, both the feed-in apron 9|, aswell as the ironing and conveying apron |01, may be either solid or sectional, as shown with the sections more or less closely spaced to each other.

A series of thin iiat metallic strips` are supported xedly at their upper ends in the clamp ing bar |3|, and extending between the roll 68 and the ironing surface of the chest 59 so as to `strip the work from the roll 68 and to feed it onto the main roll The strips |30 are generally resilient metallic strips having a comparatively small transverse dimension so that they willnot interfere with the action between the auxiliaryroll68 and the steam chest 69.

At the discharge point on the roll a series of pivotally mounted stripper fingers provided, pivoted upon a common pivot |33 and held against the surface of the padding on the main roll by counter-weighted arms |34, having adjustable counter-weights |35. `The fingers A32 also carry guiding extensions |36 which guide the work onto the receiving side of the apron |01.

A safety plate or guard |31 may be provided directly above the discharge zone of the feed-in apron 9i, pivoted at |38 and |39, and having its lower edge extending to close proximity of the.i

apron 9| so that any accidental extension of the operators hands or fingers into close proximity of the auxiliary roll 68 will cause the plate or guard to be deected in the direction of the arrow M0. The pivot |39 is in turn connected through the arm itil, the connecting link |42 and the arm |43 on shaft |4319, arm |43 being provided with a trigger finger |43a, whichis adapted to actuate a control lever |44 of the electrical controller |45, so that any slight deflection of the plate will cause the button or plunger |46 of the controller to be pressed and stop the machine in its entirety, the controller is also provided with a reset or starter plunger |46a..

A pair of similar indicators |41 and |48 may@ be provided upon pivots |49 and |50, and connected tc the main roll bearings 22 and 23 through the connecting links |5| and |52 for indicating the pressure setting of the rolls. The

indicators |41 and |48 may be made to traverse over suitably graduated dials |53 and |54.

The heating of the steam chests is effected through suitable manifolds, such as the manifolds |06, |55, |56, |51, and |58, which are connected to the successive sections of the chests in" a manner similar to that indicated in the copending application Serial Number 756,517. The auxiliary steam chest 69 is provided with a similar manifold member |59 which extends across the successive sections and is bolted or otherwise fastened thereto, and is provided with both the inlet passageways |60 and the discharge passageways |6I. Y

A suitable steam supply line |62 may be provided for supplying steam to the various steam manifolds, as for instance, through suitable steam branch lines |63, leading to the intake |50 of the manifold |59 on the auxiliary shaft and branch lines |64 and |65, leading to the intake manifolds |56 and |06, respectively, ofthe lower chest, and a flexible connection (suitably steamtight), |66 leading to the'intake manifold |58 of the upper steam chest. The steam return or discharge lines are similarly arranged as indicated particularly in Figure 4, with a common return line |61 and suitable auxiliary branch return lines |68 and |69, connecting the return manifolds IBI, |55 and |51, respectively. Asuitable vacuum pump |18 is provided on the machine directly connected, preferably, to the high speed shaft of the motor. The intake opening of the vacuum pump is connected by pipe |1| to the vacuum or suction manifold openings |12, |13 and |14 at the ends of the respective steam chests through suitable suction connections |15, |15 and |11. By this latter means, the suction is provided on all the suction openings |19 on the operative faces or operative surfaces of the steam chest, thereby to remove the vaporization from the work and to effect a quicker drying of the worlL The work is initially laid over the rail |80, as indicated in Figure l, with the basket-like support serving to retain the inner end of the work. The work at the outer end or edge |82 ci the work is then tted onto the feeding apron 9|.

By virtue of the vapor relief and also by virtue of the suctional vapor relief afforded the suction ports in the ironing surfaces of the steam chests, the padding of the main roll, as well as the padding of the auxiliary roll, may be formed of a relatively firmer or harder material. Thus, by virtue of the relief afforded to the vaporization from the laundry, the rotor padding may be made less absorbent to steam or vapor because the elimination of the vapor arising from the work does not depend entirely upon absorption in the padding. In this manner, a padding of relatively firm felt, as for instance, woolen feit, may be used with a surface of suitably woven canvas, merely to give it a strengthening exterior surface resistant to wear. By virtue of this relatively harder padding surface the laundry is given a smoother and glossier finish when rubbed up against the ironing surface of the steam chest. Thus, a smoother and glossier finish is obtainable on the Work.

The upper and lower steam chests or the juxtaposed steam chests which surround the main roll and also the auxiliary steam chest which cooperates with the auxiliary roll 68 are of the sectional aluminum or aluminum-alloy construction e or of the sectional non-ferrous construction disclosed in copending application Serial Number 756,517, now matured into Patent No. 2,057,988. By the use of aluminum or aluminum-alloy steam chests a more rapid transfer of heat is obtainable. Moreover, by the avoidance of the pitting and scaling on the inside of the steam chests, common with the conventional ferrous construction, the heat transfer qualities of the chests are maintained uniform throughout the life of the machine, and any irregularities in heat transfer are avoided.

Likewise, the aluminum or aluminum-alloy surface imparts to the working a somewhat different and more desirable nish than is imparted thereto by iron steam chests, and this is so by virtue of the relatively softer ironing surface provided by aluminum, aluminum-alloy, or other non-ferrous materials, such as copper-alloys and magnesium alloys.

The upper chest |1 has spaced from its outer surface a sheet metal casing |83 which is secured to the end plates |31) and |4b, the space between the steam chest I1 and the casing |83 is filled with a heat insulating material |84 preferably asbestos to retain the heat within the steam chest.

The main drive shaft of the machine which is driven by the motor I8 and operates the vacuum pump |10 is also connected to a magnetic brake |85 which is in electric connection With the electric controller |45 in order to positively stop the movements of all parts of the machine simultaneous with the breaking of the electrical circuit by the controller |45.

Having thus described the invention, what is hereby claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A laundry ironing machine comprising rollsupporting means, a single revoluble main roll carried by said roll-supporting means, a plurality of generally oppositely disposed non-rotatable steam chests arranged around said main roll and adapted to bear against the operative surface thereof, one of said chests being stationary and adapted to coact with an auxiliary ironing apron disposed at the rear thereof and means for adjustably moving the rest of said plurality of steam chests and the axis of the roll for Varying the pressure exerted by each of said chests on said roll without affecting the relative positions of said stationary chest and its coacting auxiliary ironing apron.

2. A laundry ironing machine comprising a revolvably mounted main roll, a plurality of generally oppositely disposed non-revolvable steam chests having heated ironing surfaces in operative contact with said main roll, one of said chests being stationary and coacting with an auxiliary ironing apron along the rear thereof, and manually operable means for simultaneously and uniformly varying the ironing pressures exerted by said main roll upon each of its associated steam chests without affecting the relative ironing pressure between the rear of said stationary steam chest and its associated ironing apron.

3. A laundry ironing machine including a steam chest having an outer convex ironing surface adapted to cooperate with an ironing apron disposed at the rear thereof and having a concave inner ironing surface, said ironing apron and said chest being relatively fixed in a direction normal to the path of the apron, a single vertically adjustable main roll having its periphery cooperating with the inner concave ironing sure face of said chest, and a second concave-surfaced steam chest contacting the periphery of said main roll generally opposite the first chest, said second chest being radially adjustable relative to said main roll, and means for simultaneously varying the ironing pressure between said roll and both said chests, without disturbing the ironing pressure between the outer surface of the relatively fixed chest and its coacting ironing apron.

CLAUDE J. WEST.

CII 

